The Tale of the Amp-lion

1925
Silent
3m

Silent cartoon advert that is an actual Heath Robinson contraption.

William Heath Robinson's comic drawings of elaborate improvised machines captured the nation's imagination enough for his name to enter the English language. In this silent cartoon ad he makes the creative step of morphing the 'Amplion' loud speaker, marketed for early gramophones and wireless sets, into a rampaging lion. Sadly, it seems to be his only venture into animation. With the countless drawings required to make a cartoon film it is nice to picture him making a Heath Robinson contraption to help him out.

Animated promotional film for the `Amplion', a wireless loud-sepaker.

Two loud speakers change into a woman, then a chicken which lays eggs and then a lion. The lion chases the other speaker (in the form of a woman). The film ends with a caption for E. Marshall in Portland.

Pioneers of Screen Advertising

Almost from the dawn of film, advertising was a part of the filmgoing experience. This collection showcases some of screen advertising's earliest steps, as companies learnt to mimic the evolving forms of film comedy, drama, documentary and animation with the careful addition of their product as co-star.

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